MANDY Moore is railing at being rail thin. Queen Latifah isn’t. Jennifer Hudson isn’t. Forget Nic ole Richie and those Olsen things, who look like eyebrow pencils. Just as Penelope Cruz told me she’s weary of America forever talking diets, comes now Mandy, who complains she can’t squeeze into designer sample sizes. She’s not an anorexic under-body-mass size 0, nor even a puffy, pudgy, chunky, chubby bloated size 2. Whimpers Miss Mandy: “Why can’t they make sample sizes in a normal 6 or 8? I’m not a toothpick, and when I try on these things and can’t fit into them, I feel badly.” Yeah, hon, me too.

SANDRA Bullock saying bull – – – – to whoever next asks wouldn’t it be wonderful for her to have kids. The woman’s 42. She says she’ll have them – now that she has a husband – when she’s ready. She’s not necessarily into adopting a rainbow coalition. Not necessarily itching to take a slow boat to China or Africa and bring home ready-made family. Nor is she desperately eager to flash her pregnant belly on a fashion magazine cover. She’s happy, successful, doing well, comfy with the husband and her exact quote is: “Whenever people ask me when I plan to have kids, I actually want to slap them. When I’m good and ready is when I’ll have them.”

A HEFTY chunk of the West Coast is set to get – like everyone else out there – a face-lift. And who’s doing it? East Coast people, naturally. Trust mother, kiddies, when you want the best it comes with the Made in New York logo.

America’s most famous intersection is 42nd and Broadway. Next is Hollywood and Vine. Seven acres, 1.2 million square feet of Hollywood and Vine, is now owned by James Nederlander. Jimmy Sr. – whose worldwide theaters include nine Broadway houses such as the Palace, Gershwin, Marriott Marquis – has spent 20 years buying up this largest chunk of property in Hollywood. Those familiar with the state that anchors the west end of our country may think of it this way: Going north from Hollywood Boulevard, Operation James Nederlander extends halfway to Sunset.

Development will take three years, monitoring city approval has been California lawyer Neal Papiano, backers are Prudential, the dollar figure is maybe a buck and a quarter one way or another of $350 million. In place of a mortuary and mom-and-pop places like Stella Adler Studios, in what’s now a rundown area akin to our yesteryear Times Square, will be 10,000 apartments, eight superbuildings, miles of commercial space. The project encompasses the new W hotel, new subway station plus the famous Pantages Theatre and its air rights, both of which Nederlander also owns.

Given the kosher sign by the City Council, construction starts next month. Developers are N.Y.C.’s Clarett Group, whose earlier dinky projects include the Stock Exchange and the Times’ new headquarters building.

Included in the plan – one special street above Hollywood Boulevard’s Pantages Theatre to be renamed Nederlander Way.

SKI shop. The owner’s hiccuping. He’s had the condition three weeks. Ex hausted, hurting, at his wit’s end and out of breath, he tries to wait on a customer who wants a pair of boots. The customer, himself a previous hiccup sufferer, guarantees a home remedy. Stick both index fingers in your ears then sip water while another party holds the glass for you. He made the owner do it, he actually held the glass for him, and he ended up curing this poor man’s spasm. Wildly grateful, the owner thanked and rethanked the customer. And then charged him for the boots.